1. Field of the Invention
The subject disclosure relates to a method of manufacturing a filter and, more particularly to, a carbon filter fabrication process wherein the filter is free of undesirable contaminants.
2. Background of the Related Art
Filters are used for removing particulates and gases from the air and the environment of which the user intends to clean or purify. Currently most filters are manufactured or assembled in regular environmental or general assembly conditions. Such conditions will allow these filters to come in contact with particulates and gases that are present within this environment. Through this contact, the filters may retain or absorb unwanted particulates and gases that are present in the assembly environment. A particularly problematic material used during the manufacturing or assembly process is carbon which is used as an absorption ingredient. The carbon may absorb unwanted gases or volatile organic compounds (“VOC”) from the assembly environment.
For an additional example, particulates, unwanted VOC and other gases are absorbed into the HEPA or particulate filtering material, or additional filtering material and then introduced into the environment in which the filter is intended to clean.
In short, undesirable contamination occurs when the environment that you are introducing the filter to is cleaner than the filter itself or does not contain certain particulates and contaminants that may be present in the filter. In such circumstances a negative impact upon the environment results when the filter and the filtering mechanism begin to release these contaminants into the environment. This contamination defeats or at least diminishes achieving the very objective of the filter system.
Currently the improvement of the air within a closed environment such as an incubator or an anabolic chamber as is addressed by U.S. Pat. No. 6,013,119 to Cecchi et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 6,200,362 to Cecchi et al., each of which is incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. These patents recognize the benefits of removing VOC and chemical air contaminants from the closed environment of a cell culture incubator or chamber.
Despite these advantages, however, there can be inconsistency of cell and embryonic development among different lot numbers of filters and from different batches of filters that are used inside and outside the incubator or chamber due to filter contamination as noted above. Improved embryonic and cell culture development only occurs by removing nearly all volatile organic compounds and particulates from the air.
Moreover, the prior art does not address the separate effects of viruses, bacteria, particulates and contaminants that may attach to particulates or contaminants like mold that may exist in the assembly process environment and are transferred into the environment by the introduction of the filter which is intended to clean the environment. There is a need, therefore, for an improved method of manufacturing a filter which prevents contamination and aids in assuring adequate sterilization of the filter.